


Dance of the Lunar Blood

by AikoIsari



Series: Solar Eclipse [8]
Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Digimon Adventure
Genre: Age Swap, Demonic Possession, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-01-13 07:44:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 42
Words: 16,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1218118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AikoIsari/pseuds/AikoIsari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>01 AU ageswap, sequel to Light of the Sun. A blade of flames, a gentle laugh, who stands before these friends? The wolf, or the lamb? And does she want to be saved? Does she want to save anyone? What of the destiny of these Chosen Children?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1-1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, sequel to Light of the Sun! Thanks for all the support so far! For a while I will not be able to provide daily updates. Too much school and this week was absolutely horrid for various reasons. Anyway, moving right along, please check out my other stories too!
> 
> So... that said, warning for violence, cursing, blood, some symbolism (probably?), and a whole lot of dead things and a very unusual (and possibly unrealistic) case of MPD.
> 
> Don't kill me guys.
> 
> All right, enjoy, and let me know what you think!

1-1

The girl before them is light in a sense that hell is on the other side of her hands. She cradles the scythe like a lover or a precious life, and smiles, so sweet and innocent and blood-dark. There is no hunger in her face, all pure joy curves and blood that smells like ashes.

She is the Light, she is the scouring Light that conquers them.

Hikari watches VenomVamdemon roar and smiles. "Hungry, aren't you?" She strokes the scythe. "Starving beast. What should we do with you?"

The flames shiver up her arms and legs and rip into her jacket sleeves, smoldering the rest of the violet flames and turning them to nothing and baring her arms and the blood staining the back of her ruined jacket.

"Well?"

Taichi watches his sister turn to look at him, at them, but there is nothing that looks familiar in that smile, in that happy expression.

"Well, what?" Yamato says, expression furrowing. "Are you Hikari? Or what?"

She smiles, all mischief and joy. "I don't want to answer that," she replies. "Besides, aren't there better things to worry about? There's still a prophecy to fulfill after all."

"Hikari," Ofanimon croaks. "Come... come down..."

Her voice is weak, a puppy's whimpers after a smack on the nose. Hikari seems unmoved, but her voice softens. "You don't have to protect me anymore, Ofanimon. It's time to rest."

Ofanimon struggles anyway. "No…"

Hikari smiles. "You're so cute… but you really don't get it." She opens her mouth to continue, then pauses, expression quizzical, as though something had come to her attention. "I guess I shouldn't say it. Who knows what could happen then?"

She tilts her head just so, and Ofanimon slumps. Her metallic shoulders shake and imitate the motion of sobs.

Though saying the words would be too much, Sora realizes they all know what the floating girl in front of Ofanimon is saying.

Hikari doesn't need Tailmon anymore.


	2. 1-2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously thought I had remembered to post the update! Sorry guys!

1-2

"Are you Vamdemon?" Wizarmon says suddenly, breaking the awkward silence that in any other situation would have been broken with a scream or a shout of rage. There is too much shock there and a lot of it is in the way Ofanimon simply crumbles in Angemon's arms.

"The hell?" Agumon snaps at him, because the Digimon all seem to understand that this is bad timing and not okay at all. Wizarmon raises his hands defensively but Hikari only shrugs.

"It's a good question though," she says, still hanging there. "I mean, Vamdemon would have just cut you down if there was a good I haven't done that, so… does that answer your question?"

"No," the mage says firmly. "I'm a curious man, so pardon me but I do feel if he had a reason, Vamdemon would wait and slaughter when their guard was down."

Hikari laughs. "No, he wouldn't. He's too hasty for that, see?" She looks at VenomVamdemon's rampage. "You all better stop him quick or everyone is going to die, our mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers, everyone and you."

She pauses and flips herself. "So look at that prophecy and figure out what to do."

"What are you going to do?"

Hikari stops mid-flight and looks down at Takeru. "Pardon, Takeru-kun?"

Yamato moves to pull him back but Takeru steps closer and says. "Hikari-chan is trying to be alone. Why is that?"

Hikari caresses the blade of the scythe with one bloodless finger. "Why not?"

Takeru shakes his head. "I don't know but… if we're going to fight… please help us fight too, Hikari-chan. One more time, okay? Please. You can leave after but… please help us."

For a moment the air is silent. Even VenomVamdemon is not moving, or perhaps they can't hear him.

Then the girl giggles. "I suppose one last dance won't hurt."

She's gone a second later and the scythe is pulling her up and slicing down.

"Takeru…" Sora says softly. "Why did you do that?"

Takeru's shoulders shake. "I don't know," he whimpers. "I don't know." His knees buckle and Sora catches him.

Not for the first time, she sees Yamato raise his hand and fail to reach out. And for the first time, she realizes how much it hurts to watch.


	3. 1-3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys... *peeks in* Sorry for the delay... I meant to update over last week but I volunteered to work... and I was not feeling well until a couple days ago so yeah... Anyway, this one is short, I'm better now and I'm going to try and get back into the updating swing of things again!

1-3

They are quiet, but for Takeru's quiet sobs and the creaks of Ofanimon's broken limbs and shifting face movements. Then, Koushiro looks back at his laptop screen and types, his expression thoughtful and scared. "The prophecy… we're fulfilling it…" He stops and looks at Takeru. "Takeru-kun, what propelled you to speak to her?"

Takeru shrugs, pulling himself away from Sora's grasp. "I just… I wanted… I wanted to know what she wanted to do… if she wanted to be with that guy or anything. I didn't think she did, I wanted to believe she did because… all she talked about forever… was us. I wanted to know if she still thought that way…."

_I just wanted to hope she still loved us all._

Takeru is too young, too distraught, to put that to words but he doesn't really need to.

"When the angel of light is tempered by the spirit of rekindled hope," Koushiro murmurs. Then he looks up. "Well, she's certainly fighting him… but nothing is happening." The girl is weaving, dodging large claws and strikes and lasers, one of which singes her hair and she laughs.

"Koushiro," his mother says, her voice so quiet Sora can't help but think of a baby bird. "Can we take a look?"

Koushiro flushes and steps back, letting them look. They are all a little high-strung and Sora waits to ask why when there's still fire blooming in the air from each scythe slash… fire… Hikari is creating fire…

"Oh…" Mimi says, and they all look at her. Her eyes are wide and she is putting her hand over her mouth. But there is realization there and for a moment, the other only looks back, frightened. "Hikari-chan has to attack  _us_. That's the end of the prophecy."


	4. 1-4

1-4

At her words, all hell almost breaks loose, and it's just enough that Mimi cringes away, like the thought is not just too horrible for her to bear, but too horrible to bear thinking about for too long. Koushiro, of course, is utterly fascinated at what that implies and sets to work on deciphering the rest, murmuring and typing so rapidly it even catches his parents off guard.

Sora is a little relieved. This is Koushiro at his best, fighting on a technical battlefield. It's good that he can keep his cool, even if it might hurt his family. "What is it, Koushiro-kun?"

"I think Mimi-san is onto something," he said in a soft rush of words, looking at the prophecy again. "The angel of cursed life is tempered… Takeru-kun, you managed to get her to help us before… you… didn't control her but you did reach out to her."

"So Takeru is the key to this," Yamato says as he peers over Koushiro's fluff of red hair. His voice is hoarse, like he had been screaming through smoke. "But that doesn't-"

"Please hold on a moment," Koushiro interrupts, quiet but with a hint of impatience. "When the angel of cursed light is tempered by the spirit of rekindled hope, the flame will create a miracle for the ones they love…. angel… you were close Mimi-san, I think. Ofanimon?"

There is a creak as the angel's frozen face turns towards him. He doesn't cringe, but says, in a slow, almost gentle voice. "Could you… perhaps… throw your fire at us?"

His parents instantly look afraid and Koushiro feels a uselessness in his fingertips, not knowing what to say. "I… I think it's the only way. You are… the angel of light… and maybe, maybe Takeru-kun will be able to hold it back somehow."

His mother's horror fills her face. Then she takes a deep breath, and calms. It is so quick, and simply so incredible that he has to stare, because his mother has always done this, all but once. And that once is special. So he keeps it to himself and watches her eyes narrow at the words on the screen.

"Koushiro… who does Takeru love?"

"Mom and Dad," the little boy answers before he can think and before Takeru seems to realize it either. "And Onii-chan." The words are not an afterthought, even Koushiro himself can feel it. But something in Yamato's face grows cold anyway and it is rather odd to watch.

"Those are the people Onee-chan loves too," Taichi says, his eyes fixed on her flight, only her movements from the side of swiping claws and lasers. "Mom… Dad… and me. Our families…"

"No," Jyou bites his lip. "You're their brothers. And you have Digimon."

_And a miracle needs to happen._


	5. 1-5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I really don't know why updates are being so slow, but I'll catch my groove eventually! I'm happy everyone's enjoying so far. And someone caught those similarities. I am actually keeping to canon relatively closely... aside from Hikari now being not herself and everything. So i did follow the prophecy! Let me know about Taichi and Yamato in this! They naturally will have a kind of different friendship than they did in the original, so let me know!
> 
> Enjoy and tell me what you think!

1-5

"Wait a minute, wait!" Gabumon is the one who speaks up, the beast with more caution than the rest. "We can't just shoot fire at Taichi and Yamato!"

"For real, don't humans get crispy?" Gabumon shoots a glare at the scarred dinosaur, who only shrugs. Hey, it's the best reason he can think of! Agumon shrugs. "Well, I dunno, should we really be believin' the words that old man supposedly translated from some random prophecy outta nowhere."

"But all of it's been  _right_ ," Taichi murmurs, his small hands clenched into fists. "The voices… the timing, VenomVamdemon, Nee-chan coming back… everything's been right!" His expression morphs into anger. "It's been messed up but right." He looks at Takeru. "So we gotta try right? Nee-chan would try… and I'm her brother." He stares at all of them at the same time and they are all stuck in a vivid limbo of how alike the siblings look when they've decided on something. "So… Ofanimon?" He turns to the angel. "I'm sorry if you don't want to, but please…" The little boy bows. "Help me save Onee-chan!"

Ofanimon doesn't blink, or at least it doesn't look like she can but then, her head creaks with a little nod. "Are… are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Takeru takes Taichi's hand and pulls him towards his brother, who is now looking confused and maybe even scared. "We can do it! We have to!"

"Takeru…" Yamato says as Taichi grins at him.

"Come on, Yamato-san, you're a man!" Taichi flicks his goggles. "Gotta show everybody your cool side."

Yamato snorts. "You're one weird kid. But…" He nods at his brother. "I guess I can't say I blame you, sister like yours."

"Hey!" Taichi snaps with a grin. "My sister is awesome! Now let's go so we can help her!" He sticks out his hand and Yamato shakes it.

"Whoa, are you guys serious?" Agumon says, raising his claws. "Are all humans as death-driven as you guys?"

The seven of them look at each other and laugh. "That's not it at all," Sora says. "We just have some people we want to protect…"

"Some things we want to change," Mimi adds with a shy tug at her hat.

"And some dreams we want to fulfill," Jyou finishes. "We're just… gonna go a bit crazy doing it."

"You are all nuts," Gomamon says. Then he grins. "I knew I'd rub off on you guys eventually."

"I'm not sure that's it…"

Takeru looks down at his Crest, at the thing that looks a bit like a toy he would buy with one of his action figures. "Hikari-san… you showed me I should have hope again… I'm going to do that right now! Watch me!" Around his neck, the Crest glows a soft gold as Ofanimon lifts herself to the air on tattered wings. Violet flames wrap around her hands and Gabumon cringes.

"Yamato…"

Agumon grabs the other Digimon's paw. "Let it go, man. They're goin' for it."

Taichi beams. "You bet we are!"

For a moment, the air is silent and as the fire rushes from Ofanimon's hands, Hikari giggles. Takeru looks up at her. His face is stern, and he gives her a nod. The light bursts from his Crest in a shower of gold around Taichi and Yamato, and the flames roar.

For a moment, no one can see, but Hikari laughs.

"A miracle will occur, indeed."


	6. 1-6

1-6

Yamato feels the arrow hit, and expects pain.

Indeed, it hurts, a pain like ice exiting his skin, a bursting blizzard of pain. But it also doesn't hurt. It's more like a nagging itch that doesn't know how to disappear and leave him alone.

Then he feels his Digivice somehow begin to sing. He doesn't hear it, for his ears are howling with a wolf, a wolf frozen in time.

The power then runs, no burrows, through his veins and out of his hands and suddenly he isn't blinded by white light but his body is sagging to the ground next to Taichi, who, despite the sweat on his face and the fact that his little body is wobbling, he looks purely exhilarated as he looks up at the sky.

From orange flames rise a metallic man, a dragon, and from blue soars a wolf. Their eyes are quiet, and somehow very old…

That Digimon doesn't feel like Gabumon at all.

It stands too proud on all-fours, too comfortable in midair and staring at the opponent that is in front of it. The red eyes are serene and also bloodthirsty and all Yamato can do is watch as it prepares to charge forward.

"Go," Taichi shouts, and their partners fly, charging towards VenomVamdemon with a chilling silence. In the sky, Yamato sees Hikari flip and dance away in the sky, scythe glittering in the light from her crimson crest. Her multi-colored eyes are almost glowing themselves, brilliant and cool. She lands on the ruins of a building, and simply watches, smile too big on her face.

The titans clash and a great gust rips all of them off their feet to roll nearly into a harsh piece of wall, but then the great wolf is there and pulling him down.

"Yamato!" the creature cries, and its voice echoes but the familiar worrying edge is there. "Are you all right? Yamato?"

"Ga… Gabumon?"

He sees the red eyes and the chill is gone, just that warm feeling that unmistakably his partner is there and Yamato feels his shoulders sag with relief.

"MetalGarurumon," the Digimon corrects. "I'm going to get up now!"

"Good, you're a bunch of bricks," he managed to mutter.

"Taichi, you cool?" Taichi's partner is dropping him to the ground and Taichi is just all smiles and looking like he enjoyed a roller coaster off the rails.

"Don't just stand there, WarGreymon!" the boy cries "Go, go get him!"

WarGreymon makes a snort of a laugh. "Yeah yea, noisy kid."

MetalGarurumon looks at him quizzically and Yamato nods. They are then gone again and there is a chill in the air as frozen missiles torpedo their way into VenomVamdemon's back and the Digimon roars.

It turns to look at them, at the feeble opposition in its way, and grins nastily.

"More power…" it croaks. "More strength… give it to me!"

Hikari suddenly screeches and then coughs, coughing until blood seeps through the gaps between her fingers.

All the while, VenomVamdemon glows and his eyes laugh behind the mask. "Venom Infuse!"


	7. 1-7

1-7

WarGreymon rushes to throw an attack to hold back the iridescent laser and it works, just barely. He's pushed back, but the dragon is stubborn and angry and pushes it back. Taichi is right near him, pushing Wargreymon forward with his tiny body. It doesn't seem to be helping but it's comforting to have the kid close.

The attack ends and the two of them move out of the way. Taichi's gaze is back on his sister, whose hair is rapidly losing color with her skin almost see through but she turns her shrieks to laughter, beautiful, childlike laughter that ends with her righting herself in the air. The violet flames return, running to evaporate the blood on her hands.

"It can't be…!" Koushiro is carefully storing his laptop away, a feat that alone makes them turn to him in worry. "She was sacrificed… and Vamdemon returned as VenomVamdemon, so why would she still be being drained like that?"

Sora looked at Hikari, at her pale silver hair, and thinks she understands. "They're connected," she said as MetalGarurumon pushes off the ground, debris and building flying everywhere. Piyomon looks at Sora nervously and Sora smiles in return, if reluctantly. Her partner has a deep-set look of sorrow and determination at the same time and, as she looks around, they all do. Their partners know something, and they aren't going to say it.

But they're still going to fight.

"Okay," she says softly. "Go."

They all rush up as one, evolving too fast to see where they're going but what they're doing is clear. Ikkakumon's missile struck one of the eyes on his abdomen and he roared. Koushiro watched Hikari, who bobbed a little more unsteadily.

"Sora-san," he began. "Hikari-san is connected to VenomVamdemon, correct? Through her partner… what's going to happen when, when he-" He clamps his mouth shut, suddenly full of dread. The words are at the tip of his tongue but he can't let them go.

"We have to figure out how to beat him first."

LIttle Taichi stares up at the fight, watching WarGreymon appear to dance with fire at his claws, dodging the lasers. "All bad guys have a weak spot," he explains with the self-assurance of a young child. "All of them. That's how the good guy win."

"Especially if they aren't getting hurt," Takeru affirms. "We just gotta find it!"

Sora wonders if because they are the youngest, the two of them are simply able to deny the effects of reality. Or is it because they feel they can change it.

Then Takeru continues, very softly, not weeping, but soft. "If Hikari-san were down here instead of up there," he begins. "She would tell us to pulverize this creep and worry about the rest later. We can't save her if he's still around."

Taichi grins. "I like how you think!"

Sora is sure then, that it's the latter. And she hopes to god that the others are willing to think the same way. Because like it or not, the Digimon are fighting.

And they have to make sure they are winning, too.


	8. 1-8

1-8

They are interrupted from their renewed sense of camaraderie by cries of pain. Their evolved partners have all been thrown back, crashing into buildings hard enough for them to shatter and disappear. Koushiro's mother looks on with fear in her face but rests her hand soothingly on her son's head. Sora realizes that this is the epitome of motherly acceptance: warning but not restricting. Only now did she recognize it and think of her own mother, who was-

No, her mother was alive. She had to be.

"Sora-san!" Takeru yelped and pulled her back as Birdramon hit the ground, orange feathers fluttering to hit the wall. "We have to focus, Sora-san!"

"Are you all right?" Birdramon caws and Sora nods, only to muffle a shriek as a rainbow laser comes towards them. Hikari flew down and spun her scythe, blocking the attack. She giggled.

"Are you even trying to dance along anymore?" she asks, glancing back at them. Her mouth is caked in red and Takeru cringes behind Sora a little, barely managing to look Hikari in the eyes. "You haven't found his rhythm yet. Find that, and he'll fall like the tower of Babel, struck down by holy wrath." She thinks slowly, thoughtfully, then gives a slash to the air that cuts into VenomVamdemon's torso and abdomen. It heals but not without a scream. The scream is from the wounded area, where Mimi looks and screams, turning away.

"There's a face!" she wails. "I saw a face in there!"

In horror movie fascination, they look up, and sure enough, something is squirming from the crotch area, malformed, three-fingered hands flailing out as a masked face makes its way out, screaming with a baby's screech and cursing, cursing the air.

"Are you telling me this thing could breed?" Yamato can't help but wonder, and Hikari giggles.

"Not quite," she says and MetalGarurumon howls, ice blue missiles flying from compartments all over his body. One strikes that face, and the creature's whole body writhes, screaming and howling.

Yamato feels himself smile. It isn't enough to kill him, but it's a good start.

Even when MetalGarurumon is knocked aside by a crimson hand, Yamato can't help smiling. They can do this. They can beat him. They can save Hikari. He owes her a punch in the face.

That's when his Crest begins to glow.


	9. 1-9

1-9

Their Crests fall into their hands, pulsing and glowing familiar, warm colors as they brighten, pillars of their light warping and bending into ropes that restrict VenomVamdemon, VenomVamdemon fires at the sky and for a moment, Takeru has a vivid memory of Devimon, restricted by their partner's desperate attacks, and the roars mix together and his head and he cries out a small sob.

"Takeru," Angemon croaks out softly, rising up again. "We can do this, Takeru."

Takeru nods. "Angemon, aim at that face!"

"WarGreymon too!" Taichi shouts and for some reason, the two boys grin at each other and slap high-fives.

Both Digimon rush to obey and Yamato calls out. "Hold on!" They look at him and Yamato finds himself grinning as Hikari holds up her crest to restrain VenomVamdemon's throat. "MetalGarurumon should freeze him first. We can't let him get away!"

MetalGarurumon seems to catch the other meaning and releases a great missile to soar and crash into the enemy. VenomVamdemon roars in pain and thrashes against the restraints, slashing at MetalGarurumon and knocking him into a wall. Yamato goes to his side to try and move off a piece of debris that had landed on his leg but to no avail.

VenomVamdemon lunges and manages to scrape Yamato in the back.

At first, shock belies pain, and it's only when he's hit the ground and Takeru starts screaming that his back is awash with hurt and blood. Jyou is running towards him and he feels MetalGarurumon howling his anger.

"Kill him," he shouts, despite the pain. "Kill that guy! Or-" He's cut off by the fact that he suddenly can't breathe and Takeru's hands are holding one of his. "Takeru," he wheezes. "Kill him."

Takeru nods and Yamato's vision blurs but he can still hear Takeru shout for Angemon and Taichi's energetic yelling. The air is full of fire and smoke and roars and then Yamato can't see anything at all. He sees white, then black, then nothing, as he passes out.


	10. 1-10

1-10

Yamato wakes hours later, much to the relief of everyone. Takeru doesn't throw himself over his brother, though his eyes say he wants to do nothing less than squeeze his body like a ragdoll. But he doesn't and that's only because Yamato stops dead at the sight of the other people behind him.

"Mom… Dad…?"

His dad gives a gruff laugh, the ashes of a recently-smoked cigarette dusting between his fingers. "Who else would be glaring holes into your sickbed?"

It shouldn't surprise him. It's practically the end of the world and he's in a hospital bed. Both of them would of course be worried about him when he's on a bed on his back because he was in the way of a giant monster. But it still shakes something in his walled-up heart. His parents are there, and they aren't screaming at each other and Takeru is between them with Patamon like he belongs there. The two don't stand hand-in-hand, but they are united for the first time in three years and Yamato knows its for him.

He has to look away, squash the bitter feelings like they are nothing because they shouldn't be, because he's strong, he is the older brother, and he is not allowed to cry. Even though he is relieved, he still can't cry.

"Don't try to move," his mother says, not in that soothing voice that he knows other moms have, but with worry and a small tremor. His mom is not the touchy-feely woman of Koushiro's. She is pragmatism, clicked, strict hurry, but she has never hit him, never hurt him on purpose. "Your back got torn by that thing."

"Is it dead?" Vamdemon wasn't a he or she, Vamdemon was a parasite who had killed Hikari-chan and used her for energy and attacked their world and made Takeru cry. Vamdemon was an  _it._

"I killed him, Yamato." The voice is from above his head, from the familiar orange and white fuzzball that is his friend? Partner? Tunomon. That's what he is. The Digimon's red eyes are wobbling and somehow without arms he manages to hug Yamato's head. "He almost killed you!" The tears seep into his gelled hair and Yamato feebly tries to reach out to him. His arms are stiff and sore and he thinks Tunomon wouldn't let go even if he asked him to. "He cut you like that and there was blood everywhere and I thought you were gonna die!"

Yamato wants to make a sarcastic quip, say something to diffuse the thick fog of tension that is his whole family in one room and he doesn't know how.

So he just settles for a simple "I'm sorry" and lets his partner cry out the panic. Tunomon isn't one for it… but they all had seen what happened to Tailmon.

Wait… that brings up another question, one that forces him to sit up. His father gives him a scolding look, but Yamato doesn't care. He sits up to look Takeru in the eye.

"Where's Hikari-chan?"

Takeru and Patamon both shift nervously, but when his little brother speaks, he only says, "You'd better come outside and see for yourself."


	11. 1-11

1-11

With some help from his father, Yamato limps his way outside. The rest of the Chosen Children turn to him, each with a relieved expression that is cathartic after the quietness of his parents. There are six there.

And the seventh is a gaping hole that simply isn't there.

His breath catches and he looks at Sora, hoping that he's thought wrong. She points up, simply straight up and he follows her finger to look at the sky.

"What the hell is that?" The once cloudy sky is now clear and starry, barring so many upside down mountain ranges and grey ground and wilting trees, among other things. Specks of black that he can't make out are moving in and out of the stripes in view and it hurts his eyes to look at.

"That appeared when VenomVamdemon died," Koushiro replies, for once not engrossed in his charging laptop. "It's the Digital World."

"What?"

Jyou nods. "Koushiro-kun recognized it before the rest of us. It looks older, but, of course, someone as curious as him would know it by." Koushiro flushes, stuttering out modest pleasantries.

"But," Yamato says, still looking at it. "How could this happen?" It doesn't even look like the Digital World now.

"We left that place behind," Sora replies in a voice that sounds weary, edged with guilt. Yamato thinks it's had that tone for as long as they'd been watching this, waiting for him to wake up and help make a decision. A decision about what?

Taichi shifts slowly, the pink blob on his head yawning. "Nee-chan's up there," he says, staring at one of the specks like it would gain the face of the family he missed. "After VenomVamdemon died, she went up there, laughing. She didn't, she didn't look," Taichi pauses, shoulders hunching and torso shaking. "She didn't smile like Onee-chan at all, it was all angry and happy and scared." His fingers reach for his goggles and curl possessively around the strap, as if his nails could rip through it.

Sora steps forward and then back, arms falling to her sides in a subconsciously exaggerated helplessness. The action seems rote, and Yamato ponders how many times she tried to go wipe the kid's tears, only for him to pull away because he doesn't want her.

If he's been standing out here like that for as long as Yamato has been asleep, then it must have been a lot.

"At least she's not dead," he tries to offer weakly and Taichi shoots him a sour frown mixed with tears.

He sniffles, and tries to make it sound tougher than it really is. "But it's not, not her. Onee-chan doesn't laugh like that when people get hurt, o-or taunt people like that. That's what… that's what Vamdemon did… Vamdemon  _took away my sister_!" The fury bubbles in his eyes and it looks like the child wants to hit one of them because all they want to do is  _comfort_ and not  _understand_. He is helpless and scared and angry.

So are they, but they aren't little kids who barely know the full story. Even Takeru knows more about Hikari than Taichi does. All Yamato can think is,  _what do you expect us to do?_ She went up there, into a messed up Digital World, without them. How can they find her in a world the size of their own.

"Hikari is still Hikari!"

Plotmon's voice is weak and tiny, but there is a kernel of resolve underneath each quaver. "Hikari is still Hikari," she repeats. "And we're going to save her!"


	12. 1-12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry guys, I seriously forgot to update this the other day. End of arc 1!

1-12

They are all silent, and for a moment, Plotmon really did hate them. Why don't they see it? Why don't they understand? She is Hikari's partner! She would know her better than the best, better than anyone, especially these humans. They just weren't looking.

"My Nee-san doesn't talk like that," Taichi protests and Plotmon pauses, scratching at the concrete with a paw.

"So what?" She shakes her head. "Why are you guys so freaked out? Hikari was dead! She's not dead now!"

"But Hikari-chan wasn't holding a scythe before!"

"That's the Hikari who evolved me into Bastemon!" Plotmon finally snaps, jumping up and down. It ruins the effect of the glare on her face but she doesn't care. "I know that is my Hikari and I'm going to go home and drag her back here!"

"How do you know?" She isn't sure which of the two blond kids says this, mostly because she can barely tell them apart sometimes and the rest of the time they actually act like separate beings. Not one of those times, unfortunately.

The question makes her snort and she just ignores it because the answer is incredibly obvious. If it isn't her Hikari, then Plotmon has no idea who her partner even  _is_. And that just can't be.

All of them are silent and she starts wishing she had her flaming wings again so she can kill and kill and kill and get through to the other side.

"You really think we can save Nee-chan?" Plotmon looks at Taichi, at the too big goggles around his neck His Digivice flickers with light as he speaks, clenched in one fist too tight. "Can I bring Nee-chan home and tell her I'm sorry?"

 _Sorry for what?_  "We have to try," Plotmon says. "Or she will die for sure."

She feels the words tumble through the humans' minds, watches the Digimon sit and wait, rather impatiently. They know what they're supposed to be doing. Apparently, humans are simply slower than Digimon at grasping the obvious.

Then, they catch on and she sees their Digivices begin to glow. Envy burns for a moment when she sees the looks human and Digimon share, and then she shrugs it off. She will have her Hikari back.

"Koushiro?"

Koushiro (she knows him because Hikari knew him and regarded him with trust and focus) looks at the two adults who had followed them, parents, yes, that was the human word. "Mom? Dad?"

The woman hugs her son, like Hikari had hugged her and hugged Taichi and all of these people and she sees Koushiro's eyes water and her stiff legs relax because the realization has probably now made itself clear to everyone else.

Hikari has hugged all of them, but they have rarely ever hugged her. And that might save her from herself.

Vamdemon is dead, who else could they save her from?


	13. 2-1

2-1

Taichi has never been to the Digital World before, so the fact that they fall from a rainbow is a new fun experience only tempered by the fact that they are, well, falling. He clutches to Koromon like he'll somehow be a parachute and the others are screaming because it's really high up and-

Taichi is having the time of his eight year long life.

As the ground looms closer, he thinks he sees something soaring through the sky that is nothing like a bird, with no weird wing flaps, but instead a crimson light carries them like a bullet out of a gun. But Taichi remembers television shows of guns. Bullets go in a straight line most of the time. That shape is looping and spinning and it looks like it's doing that just because it's fun and it knows how.

He swallows the lump in his throat. Before, his sister did things because she had to do them. Now, she's doing them because she  _can_.

Taichi goes the wipe his tears but before he can, there's a pain in his knees because they've hit the ground and  _ow._ At least he wasn't a splatter on the ground, but still! That hurt.

"Ya cool, Taichi?" Koromon asks as he hops from Taichi's grip to the ground. Taichi nods, rubbing his legs. The others are doing something similar, but it's a less-focused gesture. They are all looking around, each horrified and confused in the same way.

"Koromon, does your world normally have all these cracks everywhere?" At his question, they all look down and Mimi jumps back, clinging to Palmon.

The ground looks like a spiderweb, brittle as stale cake that will crumble at what shouldn't be much weight.

"Run?" Yamato croaks, and they all nod.

And just like when their adventure began, they're all off and fleeing impending death. The land cracks and steams and almost seems to yawn, and through it all, Koromon manages to say:

"No, Taichi, this is bad."

They all want to shout how much of an understatement this is, but there is no safety to be found in the middle of an earthquake in a forest, so they just focus on breathing, focus on running, and they all forget about Hikari.

That is, until she drops down in front of them, smiling and blocking their path, scythe aglow with fire.

"You sure got here quick," she chirps. "Miss me already?"


	14. 2-2

2-2

It's the looking up close at her again that brings everything into focus. White hair, blue and green eyes, her jacket clean and resewn, like the world had fixed her the second she had touched down on it. No bloodstains on her fingers, the scythe shiny in a greyish sun.

"Nee… chan?" Taichi croaks and Hikari smiles.

"Hullo Taichi," she says, agreeably enough. Her eyes glitter faintly and she floats there, waiting, listening to the earth crumble a short distance away. "You sure it's okay to just be standing here?"

"Move aside and we'll be out of your hair!" Gomamon shouts and Jyou glances at the Digimon, who is quivering. None of the other Digimon look much better, they are all glaring like it's Vamdemon in front of them and not Yagami Hikari and maybe it kind of is. Though everyone wants to save her, the scent is undeniably not human and not  _safe_ for the humans.

But Hikari shakes her head, smiling. "I'm the least of your problems today." She waves an arm extravagantly towards the cracking ground and fallen trees. "Much further and you'd have run straight into their hands and died."

"What do you care?" Yamato says and his fists are bunched up near the pockets of his jeans.

" _She_ cares. I don't." The words are as careless as the steady beats of the bladeless scythe end against the back of a torn-up shoe. "And she's trying to wake up so badly, poor thing. Doesn't understand that he'll never really be gone." Hikari laughs. "And neither will I. But either way, this world is so boring. Everything has already been taken over. But you can change it, you little  _Chosen Children."_

" _And all you have to do is kill."_

The words sting and sing and suddenly a burst of purple embers rushes towards them and she laughs. "Kind of like this."

They bolt to dodge and Plotmon is a minute too slow and is almost struck in the back, yelping in pain.

"Oops," Hikari says brightly and swings her scythe to fire again. Koromon bounces from Taichi's side and glows, bursting to Agumon's form to hold the scythe over his head with trembling, muscular arms.

"Not so tough, are ya darl," he snaps and his opponent smiles.

"I'm still a little human. What's your excuse?"

Around them, the remaining trees begin to shift and groan, and the air grows thick and dark. The earth is still, and every sound is suddenly so much louder.

Then a little childlike voice giggles like it's sneering.


	15. 2-3

2-3

They want to look around, they all nearly do, but it feels like lead pipes have replaced their bones until the giggle happens again. Hikari smiles and sighs and takes to the air in a smooth motion, and now they can see the trees swishing to a breeze they can't hear.

"Neh, Piemon," whines the giggling voice. "I found one I want. Can I have him? Wait, ooh wait!" What drops in front of them is a boy made of metal and wood. He swings a strange sort of hammer. "There are two of them. Two friends!" He waves at Taichi and Takeru like nothing is wrong and his eyes aren't red and the trees aren't swaying to the sound of his voice. "I want 'em Piemon! You take the others, I want them. Please!"

Another laugh, and this one creaked, the sound old loose floorboards with upturned nails for your foot to step on.

Yamato doesn't think before dragging both boys behind him. "Tunomon," he hisses quickly. "Can you fight?"

"No." Tunomon's voice is exhausted. "I'm sorry, Yamato, but not against all of them."

"All of them?" There is no one there but this inhuman boy and-

Yamato curses and Sora manages to turn her head, the Digimon in their arms bristling with anger and chill. "We're surrounded, aren't we?"

Hikari giggles. "Well, I said "their", didn't I Yamato-kun?"

"Don't call me that," Yamato spits. "You're not Hikari-chan, so quit acting like her."

Hikari sighs. "So dull… I keep saying I'm not going to kill you right now, and you just want me to, right?"

"You aren't killing any of them at all," Gomamon snaps, curling a paw into a fist and only not squirming away because of the way Plotmon glares at him like she would kill him for thinking of hurting her, even if she deserves it.

A swiveling noise points a large gun barrel at all of their heads and a playful snicker comes from above their heads. "If they make it out of this alive, I don't see why not, Pinocchimon."

"Cheh!" the boy huffs. "Spoilsport."

Before they can look around Sora feels the world go out from under her feet and the sky is abruptly a lot closer than she used to be and the wind smells dark.

She only screams after another five seconds when she realizes she has been thrown like a ragdoll into the air and is about to crash into cold hard earth. Then she is caught by a large gloved hand and a masked man smiles into her face. The breath from between his teeth smells like joy and liquified copper.

A sobbing cry a second later says that Mimi is also flying and there is no one to catch her safely but hikari who is watching and the strange thing holding her doesn't seem inclined to do anything but look at her.

Mimi's hat goes flying and Sora squirms and kicks because there is a rumbling from deep below them in the sickly colored sea and that's where Mimi is falling with Palmon flailing in her arms and even if they survive the fall, she doesn't think they can survive what's in there.

Mimi cries out one more time and then she glows with Palmon and her Digivice and Crest are a splash of spring green color in the monochromatic world and they all are washed in it until Mimi drops from sight.

"Oh god," Jyou whispers, and the horror in his voice is nauseating and infectious because all of them are just staring, staring as the newcomers move closer, aim to kill them as they only stare with their jaws dropped open and Jyou just chants his gasped words out in a mantra, like it's somehow denial.

Seconds after, a golden vine wraps around a ragged tree and they hear Mimi whimper. "I don't wanna die."

"I won't let you," a new voice promises, and it's a sweet as Palmon but so much older and so much more confident. "As long as I'm alive, I won't let you die."

Hikari smiles and her eyes are red. "If i could change my destiny," she says, just loud enough for the Digimon to hear. "Then so can you."


	16. 2-4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, remember when I thought this would be a story with fast updates? Remember when I had freedom? Hahaha... that's not happening. but thankfully, this fic is still oodles of fun and I'm enjoying way too much to hiatus it until life stops being a prick. Thinking about it, that's basically never, so hey!
> 
> To all of my new viewers (who I have yet to talk to and really should, hello everyone) get ready for the crazy train because this ain't gonna stop! I hope you all come back for more.
> 
> For my old readers, following this fic, while i write out the 01 pilot story and War Game fics (the latter at least will be out before the 02 story because it has direct prevalence to the 02 story (yes, this series isn't stoppin until... probably about the time of the epilogue, at which point, I will have to stop unless someone wants to write those stories I will leave enough details in those last stories for everyone to make up their own ideas), there will be a prequel story, detailing the original Chosen Children. Original Characters, because i have some running around in my brain and I really need to use them before they decide to run off and join the revolution with the others...). The reason I'm saying this now is because hints are going to start appearing in these stories about them, as well as any other little side-fics that I can push into this world.
> 
> All right, guys! Here we go, and please drop your wonderful words at the box at the bottom of the page so I know how I'm doing for you all! (Or not,either's fine!)

2-4

The woman, a woman made of roses, pulls herself into view, hefting Mimi in one arm. Then she turns and whips a golden vine of thorns at the strange boy, who catches it around his hammer and tugs, like a game of skip rope. The woman digs her feet in and yanks, and the boy glares, trying to prevent the weapon from slipping from his fingers.

" _I_  win the games, not you!"

Rosemon smiles, lips red and curling coldly. Then at some signal between the two of them, she whips the clown, ignoring her real opponent completely. He blocks and Sora drops from his grip. Her partner leaps and manages to catch her in her talons, pink wings flapping hard to keep from losing her. She circles quickly to the ground, placing Sora down and rising back into the air. Patamon joins her and the others are moving forward, exhaustion or not.

Piemon, the pierrot, claps his gloved hands. "I do love the excitable arrogance of children. You think one ultimate can defeat us all?"

"We can all fight!"

Jyou groans. "Gomamon…"

Koromon is glowing a soft gold and then an orange dragon takes his place. "Not to spoil the possible friendship speech, but there could be three of us and there are five superpowered nutjobs surrounding us. Anyone know how to dig?"

"In this place, are you nuts?" Yamato snaps and Agumon shrugs.

"I'd like to see you fly away from five of these guys with the dead weight called humans on their backs."

Yamato bristles, and Sora shushed him, watching the others with their own expressions of dread and discomfort. Not even the euphoria of another evolution has stopped them from realizing what is essentially obvious once they look hard enough:

They needed a leader, and none of them knew how to lead.

Taichi then taps his foot. "Can we make a big boom?" he asks, all child grin and sudden "I've got an idea!" that they're all starting to realize is par for the course with this small child. "Like, make a lot of smoke and  _then_ get outta here!" At them all staring, he pouts. "I don't see you guys thinking of anything."

Hikari giggles and flips the air. "Poor lost, little ducklings."

"Stop using my sister's voice!" Taichi's shout is almost capable of making the ground shake and Piemon laughs.

"Are you sure you want this one Pinnocchimon? He may not last…"

The boy laughs. "That's why I'm getting two, stu-pid!" He jumps from the dying tree he's been standing on and swings to crack the Earth and Piemon swoops to pin Rosemon by her throat and three things happen very fast.

The Digimon all evolve together, lunging to protect their partners, Pinnocchimon and WarGreymon clash together in a flurry of sparks…

And Hikari firmly lodges her scythe in Piemon's eye.

There is a cackling scream and a wash of red and their former friend hovers in the air, smiling like the cat with cream on its tongue.

Then Plotmon says, in a rush of triumph. "I  _told_ you she was mine."

The thought isn't comforting in the slightest.


	17. 2-5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Well, I know how to write this story faster: write to its theme song! Good to know. Also, hey guys, if you can, please take a look at the spinoff story, Bewailing of the Summer Sunrise. There are a few of your ideas at least hinted in there, some from the Light of the Sun reviews. This will take priority over it, of course, but for all intents and purposes, it is still part of the Lightverse. If it's too dark for you, I apologize... well, okay, no I don't. You've read this far. Here we go! Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

2-5

Piemon is screaming still, a sound that is laughter and pain and Pinocchimon is staring at him like he's grown a second head and then whirls on Hikari, who is smiling a simpering condescension that causes him to float back a few paces.

"What's with him?" Taichi couldn't help but blurt out and Koushiro feels everyone looking at him before they actually do and hurries to answer.

"W-Well, from this distance, it appears…" He hesitates and shakes his head. "Hikari-san has terrified him… she's carrying the weapon of an Ultimate level after all…"

Wargreymon drops next to them. "Are you tellin' me…" he drawls slowly. "That we are letting one of you kids run around with the power o' some of the rarest Digimon around… and she's got all the sanity of an  _axe-murderer?_ " Even with an unseen mouth, the Digimon easily gives off the idea of exasperation. "Who decided this was a  _good_ idea?"

"I'm wondering the same thing," Yamato mutters, and his voice is painfully bitter and chilly.

Mimi, however, seems more focused on the here and now and waves down Rosemon to get her. Confused, her partner picks her up in her arms and lifts her up in the air. It's clear why a second later when Pinocchimon's hammer falls right where she had been standing. The Digimon move together, taking their partners and scattering into the wind.

Rosemon is soaring as high as she can but the clown, one socket bleeding afresh, is there to meet them, sword in hand. Rosemon spares one arm for a rapier and they clash, the thin blade against the broadsword, and Rosemon's grip on Mimi shakes until Mimi, eyes streaming with tears, tackles Piemon herself, pushing them both to the merciless tug of gravity.

"Mimi-chan!" Sora's scream is only cut off by Garudramon soaring to catch her, and Rosemon blowing the clown aside with a burst of red light. "Run!" she shouts and this time, no one sticks around, no one but Plotmon and Takeru turns to grab her and pull her after them but only meets air because Pinocchimon has snatched him up like a game from a toybox.

He screams for his brother but Yamato can't hear him because another enemy has rumbled from the trees and has his cannons trained on himself and Koushiro.

Taichi, however, does see Pinocchimon, and shouts. WarGreymon turns as Angemon punches Pinocchimon in the back but is thrown into a tree.

Takeru's Crest is glowing gold and Taichi runs to grab him and pull him aside when WarGreymon's claws nearly slice his hat in two. Taichi is grinning a little, sweat dripping from where his goggles are now nestled in his hair. "This is crazy, huh?"

"And you like it?" Takeru is terrified but his heart is beating with wild joy and he has no clue why.

Taichi's grin is childish and his eyes look as red as his sister's once were. "I'm Onee-chan's little brother, aren't I? And we've still gotta fight!"

Takeru understands this in a way that's with more feelings than words and the light on his heart is as overwhelming as the sun after a moonless night, wrapping them all and setting the world aflame.

Hikari giggles and thinks that this is the thrill of battle, that nobody knows what they're doing but trying to live and dance their hearts out.


	18. 2-6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter was fun! This arc ends after the next update, so look forward to arc 3! Otherwise known in the planning stages as when things get insane! Enjoy and let me know what you think! :D
> 
> Also, as a note of celebration, sometime between Sept 30th and Oct 2nd, Light passed 50k in hits on FFN! And for me, that means a lot. So, in celebration, I am doing two things! One is that I am working on some cover art for the series. And two! There is a fic in planning stages in celebration of this. It will probably be released on the one-year anniversary of Light. Or earlier, depending on when it is finished. Still haven't quite decided what it is yet. But until then, we have this one and Bewailing, which, if you haven't looked at, please do!
> 
> That's it, here we go!

2-6

Yamato shouts his brother's name to get his attention and Takeru doesn't seem to hear through the roar of the light that is turning the clearing into nothing more than blindness.

Then, just as quickly as it formed, the light recedes, forming an archangel with white wings that hovers in front of Pinocchimon, purple blade extended from the bracelet at one wrist. His expression is grim and cool in the silent air and he lunges for Pinocchimon, who raises his hammer to counter…

Until WarGreymon hit him in the face.

"Yeaaah!" Taichi is jumping up and down, fists waving in the air, brown eyes brlliant scarlet and Crest burning. "Did you forget we're a team, ya tin can?" he whoops. "There's more of us and we can all fight! We're all gonna!"

 _What kind of team are we?_ Yamato almost spits the disgruntled thought out but stops himself, taking the opportunity to join his brother and examine him. To his surprise, Takeru instantly squirms away from him, going to watch Hikari floating above them. Her eyes are almost like the heat of stars and she is holding Plotmon under one arm. The too-red lips widen into another smile and Yamato's heart lurches.

_It's always her…_

"Yamato!" Sora's warning is too late for when MetalGarurumon knocks him down, a Trump Sword embedded in his spine. The direct hit makes his partner howl and he flickers, devolving to Tunomon and hitting the ground, bleeding still.

Pinocchimon grins with triumph and swings his hammer back and forward, sending the angel into WarGreymon. and sending bullets into their chests and kicking up smoke. When it clears, two battered Babies lie in the dirt, unmoving. Taichi and Takeru bolt to their side as the other children return, huddled together behind the few Digimon capable of standing.

Piemon floats to them. His eye is fixed on them and two swords are in hand and the rumbling from the sky and ground has started again, two cannon barrels aimed at their heads.

_We're going to die._

The fear grips them all and then Hikari lets out a soft giggle. The sky begins to crackle as white and red light gathers in wisps around her scythe.

"The game can't end this soon," she says, and she swings.

The air bursts like an overfilled rain cloud and the Chosen are left blind and in pain, and then the light devours them until the clearing is empty of humans and Digimon alike.

Once again, all is quiet.

And Hikari laughs.


	19. 2-7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit short, but I'd forget to do it if I didn't do it now. Next time, we start Arc 3! Until then, here we go. Hope a question is answered. At least one. XD

2-7

"What have you done,  _pi_?"

Hikari stops laughing slowly and turns to the Digimon behind her. Plotmon doesn't stir under her arm. Piccolomon pointed his spear at her, pink body to her seeming like little more than a hovering slab of meat with fur. "Nothing too exciting," she tells him and he glares.

"You've killed them, haven't you,  _pi_? You've killed the worlds' only hope!" He lunges, eyes maddened from fear, so much beautiful fear.

Hikari hums, giggles, and swings the back of her scythe into his side. "Careful," she singsongs. "If you die, there goes another piece of hope! And that would be rather problematic, I guess!"

He spins back to her. "The world needs them,  _pi_!"

"You're the one assuming everyone is dead!" Plotmon begins to stir and Hikari chuckles. "You know as well as I do if they died that easily no one would be here and you would have been more useless than you are now."

The pixie pauses in its charge. "Who are you?"

"The Child of Light," Hikari replies without missing a beat.

Piccolomon snorts. "No, you definitely are not."

She shrugs. "And what difference does it make? Your demons are dying, are they not?"

Piccolomon's staff begins to spark. "Not all of them. You need to die."

Hikari chuckles and swings her blade under. It catches Piccolomon through the back and cuts. He barely gets a chance to breathe.

She sighs. "Oh it's a good thing you all are so expendable."

In distant points, seven lights begin to glow. On Hikari's chest, her own briefly glimmers.

"And oh we of the good shall remake this kingdom… and from it a new ruler will rise." She looks at Plotmon and takes to the air again. "But will they be Queen… or King?"


	20. 3-1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit late, and I am apologetic for that. I got really weird this weekend. Also, I worked on some bits of the story that are ahead of this one. So. Yeah, that happened. Also, there are a few new titles up on the series page for this one. Mostly for fics that are already planned. I think I have only a few left in the verse to work out if they're happening or not so until then that thing is still left incomplete.
> 
> Ah well, that all said and done, here goes with the start of arc 3. Please do drop a review at the bottom of the page if you feel so inclined and keep me on alert! My updates are as random as I am!

3-1

"Wake up!"

Takeru stirs with reluctance at the voice. His head and chest are aching and he feels his eyes twinge.

"You can't sleep here, wake up!"

He swears he knows that voice.

"Takeru!"

Takeru snaps his eyes open. "Tokomon!"

"Takeru!" His partner is on top of him within seconds, nuzzling his face and almost in tears but it's a testament to how bad everything is gotten that he is not crying. "You're okay! That light hit us and it hurt so much and you were screaming. I'm glad you're okay!"

Takeru has never been so happy about hearing his partner babble in his life. He sits up and winces, the pain back. But he ignores it, desperate to figure out where he is. The ground is damp under his fingers and he regards the silent trees warily. He knows there should be wind, but it's nowhere to be found. Takeru puzzles through this in his head and in that moment decides he shouldn't stay here. Trying to stand sends a shock through his system and he falls backwards and yelps.

"You're injured, stop moving!"

Takeru turns towards the voice and stares. "Wizarmon-san?"

The Digimon nods, looking around them as if someone will come running and slice their heads open. At this point, that wouldn't surprise Takeru very much, considering they were being attacked by anything anyway…

"What are you doing here?"

The man sniffs, ducking his head behind his upturned collar. "I followed all of you, of course. But when you fell in, I flew off course. i'm lucky I found one of you."

Takeru nods, rubbing his eyes. "Where are we?"

"Forest Sector," Tokomon pipes up. "Pinocchimon lives here, Wizarmon and I heard some Floramon talking about him. He's kind of mad."

Takeru shivers. He remembered Pinocchimon staring at him, looking awful proud of himself "Are any of the others here?"

"Just you that we've found," he says. "And now that you're awake, we need to get moving and see if we can find the others before they get hurt."

"Before Hikari-san finds them," Takeru says aloud, guessing what he's actually saying. "She's not trying to kill us," he murmurs, looking at the sky he realizes hasn't shifted once, not even the clouds.

Wizarmon shakes his head, looking almost disheartened. "It's not your friend making those actions anymore. She's trying… but there's no stopping the infection once it starts. None that we have while the world's like this."

"We're still going to try," Tokomon says, high-voice stubborn.

Takeru doesn't say anything, just begins to take slow, painful movements towards walking.

He isn't sure if there is a way to stop every evil thing in the world, but he doesn't want anymore days where the bad guys win.

He's so tired of losing.


	21. 3-2

3-2

Takeru has realized that, since the first Digital World trip, that he doesn't like when things are quiet anymore. Maybe it was because of his brother never talking when they all fell apart, or the fact that when the air is quiet, there is always a storm on the way and he just can't hear it.

So he hums, as low as he can. Tokomon trots beside him, mouth shut, head part of his body raised up and twitching his ears. Wizarmon is silent, staring at him and then at the air. His staff is ready, ready to hunt, or even to kill.

"Why are you staring at me?" he finally says, stopping his humming and twitching his hands.

Wizarmon eyes him and shakes his head. "You walk like her."

"Huh?"

Wizarmon sighs. "You walk like her, like a cat."

"Takeru's not a cat," Tokomon mumbles and Takeru tries not to laugh. He doesn't think that's Wizarmon's point.

"Hikari-chan took care of us," he says in way of answer.

Wizarmon shakes his head. "She brainwashed you into following her."

Takeru blinks. "Where is that logic coming from?" His back twinges and he suddenly remembers Bastemon's claws and teeth grazing his leg and back and the pain being enough to make him cry for what felt like hours. "Hikari-san doesn't know what she's doing, or…" He pauses, scratching one cheek. "She didn't know."

"Then why did you listen to her?"

Wizarmon's voice is agitated, ringing with discomfort and Takeru pauses to wonder if he is asking Takeru for an answer to a question Wizarmon is asking himself.

Takeru decides to think about it anyway, realizing that he doesn't know. "Mm… because we didn't know either?"

Wizarmon goes quiet and doesn't retort to this, which is good, because Takeru is well aware that he is no good at these philomosophical things. That seems more like Sora-san's thing.

Well, if he put it like that, he guesses the reason he followed Hikari-san was because it was her thing to be followed. She expected to be and they expected a leader. She wasn't a good one… Bastemon proved that, but she was a leader.

None of them were that, they were other things. They just needed to figure out what.

"Ooh, lookie what I found. You're not dead!"

It takes all of his courage to not stagger to a halt at the sound of the puppet's voice. Takeru grabs his Digivice from the strap of his bag. "Tokomon…"

"You'll be okay Takeru," his partner says, evolving with a single bound until it's Angemon facing a demon all over again.

Except this time, he's not dying in front of his eyes. No one is going to die, no one is going to be separated again!

It's this thought that makes his Crest glow and his partner burst into light, and lunge seconds later for Pinocchimon's head.

"Feh!" the puppet sneers. "I'm gonna blast you to bits! Then Takeru'll be my friend!"

HolyAngemon doesn't answer, and Takeru can hide his cringe of fear. These Digimon are strong, but if Hikari-san could take out an eye… they could do this. They had to, they had to!

Takeru's Crest is still burning. The only one who notices is Wizarmon.

And he cringes at the sight of it.


	22. 3-3

3-3

"Sora-san! Sora-san!"

She expects it to be Piyomon's voice. It's not. It's deeper, but still a bit of a squeak. Sora stirs and attempting to twitch causes a sluggish cry of her lips and she groans.

"Well, she's not dead," remarks a voice.

The other voice huffs. "Are you always so sulky, Yamato?"

Sora groans again at the sheer effort it takes to force her eyes open. What she sees is somewhat blue sky, clouds, and a poof of brown hair.

"Taichi…" she mumbles, turning her head slowly. "Yamato-kun?"

Taichi bounces away, grinning. "She's okay, Pyocoki or whatever your name is."

Pyocomon makes a strangled noise like a snap and relief. Sora bites her tongue to keep from giggling. She can only guess that little issue's been going on for nigh on twenty minutes or more. She tries to sit up and Yamato's hand is on her back. "What…. happened?"

Pyocomon hops to her and settles gingerly in her lap. "Hikari-chan did something that sent us flying."

"Could have killed us," Yamato added, expression twisting into something like a scowl and a frown at the same time.

"She didn't." Taichi's voice is a snap, but it's tired and he sounds even younger than he already does. Sora sees Yamato wince and puts this aside.

"Where are we?" she says instead, feeling the lethargy leaving her limbs the more she moves.

"Weird forest," Yamato replies. "We haven't seen anyone else." She hears his voice shake and without thinking, she places a hand on his arm. He blinks at her and his expression slides into thoughtful nothing. Not the first time she's seen it.

Sora peers around the forest floor and shifts. It's too quiet, too silent in a world that's supposed to be trying to kill them.

She regrets thinking that moments later, when their Digivices begin to beep. The beep is one long note and with it comes a sweeping wind that runs up their sleeves and makes them all begin to shiver. In their ears, a voice laughs, and then there's nothing.

This silence is even worse.

"We need to get moving," Sora decides and she forces herself to stand and walk.

She swears the two boys behind her are staring at each other, but she doesn't want to know why. Not now. Not when something laughed like that.


	23. 3-4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look guys! It exists! I didn't forget about this fic! It was just this chapter got stuck, so I decided to just write Night until it came to life again. And it did. Finally. Anyway, like always, thank you for your patience and please read and review!

3-4

Between them, the air is horrifying quiet and still. Nothing moves in the trees, no matter where they look or how loud their steps go. Even the leaves are quiet and still and it doesn't feel like a forest but a cut out.

"Are we going in circles or something?" Taichi asks, rubbing his head. 'Everything looks the same."

"We're in a forest," Yamato points out under his breath and Sora shushes him, suddenly having the urge to giggle. Taichi huffs but doesn't comment, trailing after them. Koromon sits on his head, watching the sky and looking uncomfortable.

"Okay, am I the only one disturbed by the fact that we weren't gone dat long and this place looks like hell already? Seems a bit fast, don't it?"

Yamato turned this over, expression full of discomfort. He had to get to Takeru, had to protect him. Tunomon squirmed in his arms. "You think this was planned, or something?"

"Probably," Koromon says, shrugging his ears. "Or predicted, or something. I mean, we're all here, the world's a mess. We've got power. We can save it… probably."

Sora thinks about this, loosening her grip on Pyocomon as she glows a soft blue. "So… people saw this coming."

"Someone had to," Koromon replies. "Cause I don't think any o' us made a thing like that." He points at the Crest at his partner's neck.

Taichi doesn't seem to take any notice.. He's stopped walking and looks around, eyes confused.

"What's going on?" Yamato bites his tongue to keep from snapping, but Taichi doesn't hear it.

"Voice," he mumbles. "I heard something."

Sora flinches. She doesn't know why, but she casts her gaze around as if she will see the source of laughter from before.

But before she can ask about it, the trees ahead of them light up a brilliant gold and burst into flames.

Seeing Takeru's hat soar into the air, Yamato runs and doesn't care that the others are behind him.


	24. 3-5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I didn't realize this update would take so long, it's been way busy out here. Anyway, time to lead into something well and good and fun and aw, who am I kidding, it's gonna be a blast of evil. Here we go guys! Sorry for the uber late update and if I've missed your supportive comments, I'm really sorry! Thanks for everything .Please enjoy and drop a review, if you feel so inclined.

3-5

"Takeru, look out!"

HolyAngemon, yes that is his name, that is his partner, look, Onii-chan, he did it all by himself, swoops in, misses the hat, but carries him from a blast of gunfire.

"Aww, come on, stay still!" Pinocchimon aims the gun again. "Stay still and play with me, Takeru!"

"I don't wanna play with you," Takeru shouts. "You're mean and rude and I can't play with guns and your friends are bullies who made Mimi-san cry!"

"Eh, what kind of logic is that?" Pinochimon puts the gun down and swings his hammer. "That's boring logic, Takeru! You don't want to bore me. I'm not nice when I'm bored."

"I don't think you're  _ever_ nice," Taichi shouts as WarGreymon dives, striking the hammer with his claws and making sparks burst into the air. PInnocchimon's body buckles against the weight and he grunts, swinging the dragon away.

"You're supposed to wait your turn like everybody else!" the puppet shouts. His red eyes are aglow. "You're not fun!"

"Dying's not fun!" Wargreymon shouts.

Yamato reaches Takeru by this point and kneels beside him. "Are you all right?" Did he get you?" His voice is frantic and cracks a little and maybe it's the crack that causes Takeru not to get angry and snap. Sora sees it in his eyes, a pain and anger and childish urge that Sora knows from herself.

" _You don't understand!"_

Sora doesn't think Yamato understands, but maybe Takeru doesn't either, because he wraps his tiny arms around Yamato's waist and nods. "Mm. HolyAngemon protected me."

There's something beneath that, another something that maybe Yamato only hears, because he doesn't let go of Takeru as he turns. His eyes hold a stormy feeling and his digivice flashes. Where Tunomon was, MetalGarurumon lunges.

His eyes aren't a warm red, but are full of anger.

"Yamato-kun," she says as Taichi yelps, falling away from ice.

"I have to protect Takeru," he says.


	25. 3-6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I hope this makes sense more than the last one. I think I did that one on a lack of sleep. Not fun.

3-6

Takeru looks up at his brother, somewhat with trepidation. He doesn't like that look at all. It's like Hikari-san before the first time Bastemon happened and they were all nearly ripped apart or drained or whatever could have happened. Hikari-san had the same look in her eyes as his big brother does now.

"Onii-chan?"

Yamato didn't answer him at first. He just smiled, the expression unfamiliar. "Don't worry, Takeru. Everything's fine."

When Taichi yelps again from the sheer chill of the ice, scrambling away into WarGreymon's grasp, Takeru decides that everything most certainly is not fine and squirms from his brother's arms. He bolts without thinking and charges farther into the gloom. Pinocchimon cackles with utter triumph and disappears. Yamato moves to race after Takeru but Taichi stands in the way.

"No," he says. The high voice is complete calm, his arms are crossed over his chest. "Leave him alone. You're scaring him."

Yamato thinks he could just throw the little kid over his shoulder and keep walking. He's just a kid, he can't do anything. "I need to keep Takeru safe." He says it like it's one of the cardinal rules of life.

Unfortunately, Yagami Taichi has never been good with rules on a general principle.

"Sora can do that," he says, waving a tiny hand, like it's not a big deal. Before Yamato or Sora can protest, she goes, because really, the kid's right. Taichi glances at MetalGarurumon, who is regarding WarGreymon like a mat to pounce on. "I'm not letting your near your brother with that dumb look on your face," he continues, as though he is suddenly a leader, as though he's not just a jumped up little kid in big clothes with goggles on.

"You Yagami like to get on my nerves," Yamato says, and he shakes a little, somewhat with rage, somewhat with revulsion. "You think you're always right, huh?"

Taichi snorts, and the noise is weird, not a little kid noise. "I don't think you want me near Nee-chan right now, so i won't let you near Takeru while you're scaring him! Friends protect each other from the people who can hurt them!" He bends his knees and that is Yamato's only warning before he's knocked over. The little boy's eyes are a bit manic, but they lack fear, and Yamato decides not to hold back.

If this kid won't let him near Takeru, he'll fight to get there. He doesn't like this, he doesn't want to do this, but what choice does he have?

Hikari watches this overhead. Her blue-green eyes flicker red and she touches her head with the back of the scythe.

"Oh, don't mind me," she whispers. "I just want to play a little."


	26. 3-7

3-7

MetalGarurumon is fast, his attacks are heavier. Yet little Taichi is still capable of those hits that catch Yamato off guard. He dodges and rolls away from Yamato's longer limbs and easy catches, and WarGreymon dodges and counters like he was born an Ultimate instead of raised by Vamdemon and it hurts, hurts, burns-

"Yamato!" MetalGarurumon shouts and the noise is cut off by a whirring whine. Pinocchimon is flying into view again, chased by Takeru and his partner. There's a slash of energy sword against metal hammer, and Pinocchimon howls a giggle. Takeru flinches and Yamato wants to yank him from the air, but he's distracted by MetalGarurumon's screeching howl as WarGreymon's meteor of flame strike at his right side hard enough to send him skidding.

Taichi coughs and rolls off him. "Do you feel better yet?"

Yamato doesn't answer, making to brush past him because it's clear for all WarGreymon's strength, Taichi is still a little kid. His stubbornness will only take him so far.

He almost makes it into the trees when something hard -an elbow- slams into his spine. It's not Taichi's, it's not strong enough. Yamato spins, reorients, faces-

Hikari.

Hikari, whose eyes are their former soft red turned a dangerous cold, curdled color, who has her scythe leaned against another tree with Plotmon curled around its handle.

Yamato manages to see Taichi's face. He looks equal parts overjoyed and terrified and in the back corner of his mind, Yamato wonders if that's the way Takeru had looked at him before.

"Why are you attacking my brother?" Her voice keeps that odd, unsettling calm.

Because he hit me, because he's not letting me protect Takeru, because you two are too similar and think you're so clever when you're not-

All of these answers are on the tip of Yamato's tongue. He doesn't say them, just looks up at MetalGarurumon takes the upper hand and knocks WarGreymon into a tree.

Hikari only regards him, and like before, before the heterochromia and the fire, he finds himself not afraid of her. Then she smiles. "Should I attack yours?"

It's a feint. He knows it is. The Hikari who is looking at him right now wouldn't do that, he's sure, he's positive-

He lunges for her anyway.

Taichi shouts, she rolls, and the fight starts again.


	27. 3-8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of an early end to arc 3, so we can get to the whole "We're getting told what's going on" part. Also, I am preparing a sidestory featuring Mimi and Jyou! Because the deviation from the current narrative will be pretty long if I decided to go into what they're doing, so I will not, sadly. Curse of having so many characters and really short chapters Ah well, I knew that when I signed up for this. I need to write them more anyway.
> 
> Gonna stop blabbering now. Interlude arc is coming up next after this one!

3-8

This is a fight he can't step into.

Taichi pulls back as his sister dodges. Or the person with his sister's face, that's who he's pretty sure it is. She doesn't do things like this. There's no reason to. Normally.

But Yamato had threatened him.

He remembers being very little, and only days before that car accident, there was a fight. He hadn't wanted to go to school, but he had.

He remembers someone trying to pick on him. He remembers punching them and their surprise when he doesn't just stay down, when he gets up and fights back because that is what a brother is supposed to do. He's not supposed to just sit there when his sister, older or not, is getting in the way.

He remembers his mother screaming at Hikari. Hikari, who had a bruise on her left cheek and dirt on her clothes but looked undeniably proud of herself for blocking all of those punches.

Hikari, his big sister, has always taken his life seriously, so seriously.

So he should be surprised that she's fighting Yamato. He's not.

He should be stopping her, but he doesn't know how. Besides, Sora is there, she's trying to talk to them, trying to stop them.

So when he hears the voice again, the little child's giggling, he turns to it. He sees her fairly quickly, silver hair dancing with sparkles. She's dressed for summer weather, and she is small, his height. She waves, she smiles.

"Who're you?" he says, stepping closer. The battle is behind his ears now, white noise, less important.

The girl just giggles and smiles again. She steps closer, hand outstretched. She's mouthing a word, a name, maybe.

"Who're you? Are you a friend?" He feels worried now, just a little. "Are you working for those weirdoes who hurt Nee-chan?" Taichi's eyes flicker towards the fight. "Are you here to help Onee-chan and everybody?"

The girl nods and steps towards him again. She's not scared.

 _"It's okay!"_  he hears, like he's thinking it himself.  _"Everyone's going to be fine."_

Before he can protest, she's crossing the clearing and grabs his hand. Light bursts from around his fingers, quickly becoming all consuming and even a little itchy. Everything is pulled into the light and Taichi thinks he hears Hikari scream. He hopes that he's wrong.


	28. 3.5-1

3.5-1

Gennai flies, making sure not to look down. He could not look down at the ruins beneath him, it would waste valuable time. If he stops to mourn, if he stops to wonder...

He simply cannot.

The Mekanorimon lands at the hooves of Centalmon, who dips his head. "How bad?"

"It could be much worse. The words left there aren't much use."

"So much for a prophecy," Gennai mutters, cracking his back as he adjusts his seat.

Centalmon shakes his head. "I'm not certain it is one. More of a history lesson." He steps towards the ruin. "You should see it." Gennai follows him until they are past the long gouged in mural of the Digivice to another section of the wall. It's worn, covered by dirt and cobwebs. Each letter is faded, and Gennai squints to read:

" _Before the eight were the five._

_Before the virtue is the vice._

_Before the future, there is the present._

_All that lays within the hands of the children._

_All was left by the past._

_Before the beginning comes the end._

_Before the wish, there is the dream_

_And dreams only dance in darkness_

_Given flight by the light."_

"Before eight was five," Gennai sighs. "And here I thought the humans before ours were an old Babamon's tale."

Centalmon shakes his head. "Weren't you alive?"

"Unaware of things, but yes." Gennai rubs his head. "So if this is a history lesson, what is it teaching about our world now?"

His associate doesn't answer, so Gennai crosses his legs and begins to decipher.


	29. 3.5-2

3.5-2

His footsteps scurry down the path, tripped up by the rubble of apartment buildings. His eyes fasten onto a limp thing left on the ground, its texture squashed by his too-fast feet.

The teenager shudders and looks away. They are not the first corpses he's seen today, in the past few years even, but honestly, he's tired of seeing them again.

His phone rings and he pulls it from his pocket. "You've reached the offices of Katsumi Tatsuya, could I interest you in a new cell phone?"

"Not that I'm the best person to tell you to take something seriously but… really?" The voice on the other end is trying not to laugh.

Tatsuya snickers. "Jem, shut up. I'm doin' the best i can here. Any monsters by you?"

"There were some stomping by about ten minutes ago. We've got our little quaker too. Guess where he was?" Dramatic pause "Beating one with a bat!"

"I'd pay money to see that," he admits, slipping into an alley. "This is so screwed up."

"Think the sir and ma'am are all right?"Her voice gives a worried dip.

He shrugs, though it can't be seen. "We can hope but ya know, that tends to get in short supply and all…. holy shit!"

"What?"

Tatsuya digs his hand into his pant pocket, which has suddenly started smoking. He pulls out a small, glowing object. "Dude… I'm getting signaled."

She groans. "You lucky son of a-"

"My mother is  _not._ " They are quiet for a moment, Tatsuya watching the glowing object try to burn a hole in his palm. "I'm gonna follow it."

"You do that. Get back to me."

"Be careful."

Jem rolls her eyes, though he can't see it.. "I should be tellin'  _you_  that."

She hangs up and Tatsuya laughs in the empty air. "Got that right." He looks down at his Digivice. "All right, sweetheart, show me the money."

As if waiting for his words, the light spreads into a beam and points. Tatsuya, pulling his dyed hair out of his face, runs to follow it. He doesn't give the weird sky a second glance.

It's not the weirdest thing he's seen in his life, not anymore.


	30. 3.5-3

3.5-3

"Are you all right, Mochimon?"

Koushiro doesn't regret the question at first. It takes him a few minutes to realize how horrible of a question it is with his partner wobbling after him like a tired toy. He's tempted to carry him but the last time he tried, his partner tried to move anyway. So, he lets it drop until Mochimon does.

"I'm all right, Koushiro-han." He's lying, even Koushiro himself can tell this much, but he doesn't know how to call his friend out without seeming rude, and thus, doesn't. "We need to get to shelter as soon as possible."

That was true, and with the twists and turns of the Digital World as it currently stood, it wasn't going to be easy to find any either.

With reluctance, Koushiro lets it lie, slowing his pace just a little for Mochimon to bounce after him with a little less effort.

_Did my parents hike?_

It is an odd question, he knows, since his birth parents are not the adoptive parents and he knows neither of them are actually particularly sporty themselves, but it's a thought, and he wonders if perhaps the outdoors would be more comforting to him if they were around.

But he loves his mother and father, he does.

He keeps walking, wiping his mouth and looking at the slowly fading forest around him. He has yet to see a river, and at this point, he knows he'll need one soon.

Koushiro finally stops when he realizes Mochimon has, and he hurries to grab him. The little Digimon is panting in his arms and Koushiro forces himself to keep walking and find the best place to hide because he knows if they stay out here much longer, they will definitely die.

He walks and walks until he trips and his muscles are too exhausted to go on. Mochimon seems to want to tell him off, to make him get up, but soon he can't even hop.

Before Mochimon's vision goes black, he sees a giant shadow.


	31. 3.5-4

"Ah, she's exploring again."

"Ssh, you'll wake the poor lad."

Koushiro's head throbs, and that's the only reason he doesn't sit up. There's a tutting noise above his head. The voice is feminine. "Oh, now look, dear."

"My apologies." A hand removes something dried from his head. A cloth? "Careful, lad, you're rather dehydrated." A cup is tipped to his lips and he drinks gratefully. Only when he can breath and not feel like he chewed sandpaper does he open his eyes. The room is a bit wobbly,even still. A woman watches him, still holding the cup.

"Sorry about him," she says, looking at the man who is bustling behind them with a cup. "Bit of a loudmouth. You should hear him on logarithms."

"Isn't that what you married me for?" he calls back. The woman winks at Koushiro and pretends to be offended.

Koushiro can only stare. "Where's… where's Mochimon?"

As though signaled by the gods, the little pink blob hops to meet him, beaming. "Koushiro-han, you're all right!"

"Exhausted," he says, joy filling his chest. "But yes." He dips his head to the couple, filing into his brain that these are real actual humans who aren't dead living here, and very well as the case may be. He is so relieved but he still finds the presence of mind to ask them, "Who are you?"

"Kasahiro and Yuriko," the man replies in a breezy voice, which, looking back, doesn't really answer the question at all. "We're an old couple who found their way here and decided to stay."

"Not that we could leave our little girl behind either," Yuriko says with small chuckle.

A family… with a child?

Koushiro manages to think this before a jagged pain rushes through him from head to toe and he falls back, vision turning white.


	32. 3.5-5

He opens his eyes to darkness and the switch is almost painful. He rubs at them, only to feel Mochimon's hands grip his wrist. "Koushiro-han?"

"Are you all right?"

"Better than I was," he admits, helping Koushiro sit up. "I'm afraid I can't tell where we are…"

Koushiro pauses. The small home is nowhere in sight. Neither are the adults. That isn't comforting. However, there's only one thing to do at a time like this: look around, satisfy his curiosity. It was that or sit here and waste away.

He stands and starts to walk. The direction is random, but so is curiosity. His footsteps are slow and loud compared to Mochimon's hops. He eventually picks his partner up and keeps walking until he sees a spark of light. He shuts his eyes and when he opens them again, he's not alone.

"Koushiro-kun!" Mimi kneels and hugs him. His instincts say to throw her off but he feels her shoulders and chest shaking.

"I'm glad you're all right," Jyou says from over their heads. He sounds tired, like he's fallen and can't find the energy to stand. Koushiro wonders, but doesn't question. Not out loud anyway. "The others?"

"Mochimon and I were alone."

Mimi shivers. He realizes her clothes are drenched. She shivers again, and then Koushiro hears it.

Someone is crying.

Koushiro pulls away from Mimi. Not just because he wants to, but because he knows that voice.

Hikari is somewhere in here.


	33. 3.5-6

They don't hesitate, they don't even think to. They all move together towards the sound of someone's tears. Jyou is moving so fast he almost misses her, tripping over a frayed shoelace.

Hikari isn't much more than a blur in the dark, white lines revealing exhausted features. She sniffles again. As they move closer, her head snaps up, eyes their abnormal shade of red. She shakes her head. The tears are streaming still, but her intent is clear.

_Leave me._

"Come with us." They all say it but someone says it first.

Hikari shakes her head and raises her arms. Chains rattle. She shakes her head again and points to the right, to the path ahead.

"But-" Mimi begins.

Hikari smiles wetly and points again.

They go, but they don't want to, despite her attempts to kill them. Koushiro thinks of the weight of the chains, of the puffiness of her eyes. She wouldn't have come, even if she could have. She already knows.

The dead can't follow the living. And she did die.

The three of them keep walking and slowly, the darkness begins to lighten. They are greeted with the sight of Sora and Yamato glaring at each other. Taichi isn't looking at either of them. Takeru looks despondent until he sees he bounces to his feet.

"Koushiro-san! Everyone!"

The stupor is broken. They all run to each other, relieved because they are still alive. Hikari weighs on them, of course, but there is hope with them, and perhaps there is hope for her as well.

There's a tiny giggle and they stop. Taichi turns and waves. The little girl makes Koushiro step back. There is something of that old couple in her face, in the way her eyes sparkle.

"Hey, you brought us here, right?"

The little girl nods, smiling. "You are here to see," she says. Her lips don't move. "The past, the present, the future, all are together. I, Mayu, am here to show you. Let's look, let's look!" Beneath their feet, the darkness dims, filling with streetlights. Odaiba glows beneath their feet.

"A long time ago, there was a car accident. That accident opened a rift from your world to ours. From that rift, we searched and searched for children who could save us from the evil buried behind the flames."

"You found us," Yamato interrupts.

Mayu shakes her head. "We found them. But through them, we found you."

"Them?" Koushiro feels his heart start to race.

"The Chosen Ones, of course!" Mayu laughs. "My friends! You didn't think you were the only ones here, did you?"


	34. 3.5-7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's... BACK. One of my many fics on rotation towards at least halfway done. Slowly but surely, as I finish more little things, this stuff will come back to the surface. Sorry for the wait! If you haven't read Night of the Broken Sky or the currently ongoing Children of the Unsung Legend, this is where you start! Enjoy!

"There are… more of us?"

Yamato's voice is more of a croak than an a human sound.

Mayu tilts her head then laughs. "Of course there are! There are more than a few humans in the world, aren't there? I've never been there, but I'm guessing there should be! After all, there are millions of Digimon, and new ones come into existence all of the time!" Perhaps it's her cheer, or her matter-of-factness on the whole thing, but no one knows quite what to say to her words.

"You've met one, haven't you?" Mayu turns to look at them all, someone confused now. She tilts, her pale hair fluttering as she does. "You saw him. He told me he saw you." When they just stare at her, boggled, she sighs. "Well, the Light remembers so why don't you? Human memories are so confusing." She jumps to her feet and moves. As she does, the human world spreads and expands before them, revealing a place they now remember very well.

"Hikarigaoka," Sora murmurs, pulling her partner close to her chest. Pyokomon squeaks.

"Mmhm," Mayu agrees. "That's what it's called!"

"So, wait." Jyou has managed to recover his voice. "If there are more Chosen, if there are more kids with Digimon… where have they been?"

Yamato stiffens and stalks over to the little girl. She just blinks her odd eyes up at him. "That's right. Where are they? why aren't they helping us?" It's only because Takeru is there, and not only there but shying away from him as much as possible, that he avoids sounding accusatory. She can't be much older than Takeru, can she?

Mayu doesn't even blink. "Because they can't yet. Their mission was done. But if you need them, they will come." She smiles. "They already are. I should know. I called them here. Just like Homeostasis called you here."

The air warps suddenly and then they are flying, soaring over a bird and a dragon. They all look so small, Mimi can't help but think. Small and cute.

But has that really changed?


	35. 3.5-8

The children are small and in front of them is a battle that is much the same. They watch the monsters clash, hear them scream and Taichi winces, hand to his head like it's going to start bleeding. They hear Hikari, because yes that is her, scream. The death grows thick. Then Mayu waves her tiny hand and the image is gone, replaced with the image of a burning castle. You would think stone couldn't burn but the world loves to feed fire.

Little Mayu waves her hand again and silence reigns, looking at all of their horrorstruck faces, at the green tinge to their skin. "Don't cringe like that," she says softly. "The past is gone. Or it should be. But here is why, you see, that you are here. After this, again, the balance will tip."

The castle continues to burn, a man flying out in a machine. Swords fly after the machine and she directs the group forward.

"It's us!" Patamon squeaks. "That's us, isn't it?"

Takeru and Yamato want to ask how he knows but a sudden warmth floods their chests at the sight of the fleeing machine. The Digivices begin to glow, all seven, shining in the direction the machine is flying in, as if to light up the path of a dead man.

"They called you," Mayu continues. "As the others, as my friends, worked to wrap up one crisis. In the end, they weren't enough. They were only a patchwork and they knew it. They gave up a lot to try and make this easier on you."

"And that didn't happen, did it?" Yamato hears his voice but can't quite register it leaving his lips. The anger is too much, too heavy. They had almost not been called but that would have been too easy. They just hadn't pushed themselves enough. Or were they even alive now?

Mayu smiles at that. She looks so amused at that idea it is downright mockery. Her hands seem to flicker. "I couldn't let them," she says. "They had nothing left. It's hard to fight when you have nothing. So i sent them home and did what I could. And here you are, and you're not doing very well either. Isn't that a problem? And there's an easy solution."

She mouths the answer and the world turns pitch-black. They opens their eyes, and they are exactly where they had been.

Hikari is gone,but for a trail of dried blood. While everyone is looking around, Takeru runs into the bushes. He knows what to do now. He is going to save Hikari-chan, and to do that there was only one thing to do:

Beat Pinocchimon.


	36. 4-1

Patamon flaps after him, easily able to keep up with Takeru now. They've grown and after who knows how long, Patamon has learned to fly. It helps that Takeru's legs are trembling. "Pinocchimon!" he shouts. "Here I am! Let's play a game or two!"

He's shouting loud, fully aware of the dangerous game he is already playing. He knows forests are full of monsters and that people die in them, but he has to take the risk. He remembers the bite, he remembers Hikari screaming and still moving, refusing to let him win, to let him win and even if she's a ghost of herself, that was bravery and he wants some of that for himself. So here he is.

The others will find him too, if something happens (nothing will, he is positive about that) and they will help. But Takeru can't rely on them now.

So he waits.

At the smell of what is likely gunpowder, Takeru straightens and raises his head. "Ready, Patamon?"

"Un!"

Nothing will go wrong this time. No weird evolutions of evil. No dying. Just hope.

'Aw, but that isn't fair!" The monster brandishes his hammer. "Two on one!"

Takeru tries to smile. It feels more like a grimace of pain."But you know the place better than me! C'mon, let's go! Or I'm gonna tell everyone how _boring_ Pinocchimon is to play with!" He shoots him the rudest gesture he knows, which judging by the way Pinocchimon bolts after him, it is pretty bad.

He hurries into the trees. He may have a chance at this.


	37. 4-2

Run and breathe and run and breathe and jump! Takeru, in the wisps of his young mind left for thinking, dodges branches and ducks at a sound that makes him think of fireworks but he's not sure.

"It's a gun," he whispers, slightly delirious and he races on. Takeru has no idea how he'll win but if he can get Pinocchimon out of the forest, he'll count that as a win. They can't be that good off of their own turf, right? He has to hope so. No, it's true, it has to be true!

As he thinks these words, something starts to glow on his chest. Patamon balks mid flight and swoops down to grab Takeru's shoulder. The ensuing light show gives the Dark Master the exact target he needs and he swings his hammer down, down-

Into a scythe.

"Hello!" HIkari chirps. "I need to get someone from these guys, so… can you wait a while?"


	38. 4-3

Well, you see, the obvious answer from a future evil overlord (or would it be overlord in progress?) is ,well, no. What's the response of a childlike monster with an awful vocabulary? Well, I'm sure you can guess.

The bullets fly and Hikari blocks with the ease of a scythe user years in the making. Unconventional, even. If Takeru was really looking, it would probably remind him of an anime. But it doesn't and he's not. He's too busy staring at the shining form of what Patamon once was. It's not Angemon. It's not even close to Angemon.

It's even cooler.

… Oh leave him alone, he's _eight._

It is almost as cool as the fact that the angel, great, eight winged awesome guy he is, nearly slices Pinocchimon's hammer into pieces. Level difference wins that day instead, creating a clang and a spark that almost hits trees and roasts them. Hikari drops, dodging shrapnel, narrow flight.

And Takeru sees it all.

For all Hikari's power, for all of her showman's game and the terror she inspires, that's all she has. She's still a kid, still inexperienced. Whatever is breaking her, whatever is using her, it can't take that away.

Pinocchimon shrieks. "You're a sore loser! Just quit it!"

Takeru watches his partner give the other a hefty shove. "You first!"

Hikari touches the ground and Takeru is forced to look at her, to acknowledge the unhealthy pallor, the too sweet smile. "Time, Takeru-kun," she says softly. "Time to give in."

"You won't do it." Hikari prepares a very powerful, mocking noise and Takeru stomps his foot. "You won't! You still need us! Hikari-chan needs us! You need to keep her alive, right?"

"You're assuming she is," Hikari replies with a giggle, fingers resting on her scythe.

"We saw her." Takeru makes the tears go away, makes himself not cry. "And even if we didn't, I believe it! Hikari-san wouldn't die from that!"

"A human wouldn't die from her skull breaking on the floor, from the shock of blood loss?" Hikari laughs. "Takeru-kun, little boy, don't play with me!"

Takeru balls his hands into fists. "Then prove it! Kill me right now!"


	39. 4-4

_The little boy has such a rough, tough face,_ the virus thinks with a leering smile. Her expression is shaking somewhat, as though she's never seen it before. But she's worn that look before, and sure that's enough, isn't it? Perhaps it isn't. Perhaps it will never be enough.

She isn't afraid, of course. How can a person be afraid when they are finally, truly alive? How can we be afraid of the world that is coming to greet us? That is allowing us to do what we wish? And yet that face of frightened determination unnerves her and she doesn't like it.

She doesn't like the way he's so _certain._ Humans are fragile and monstrous and stupid and satisfying-

They aren't certain, they're just here, just things to use and yet this one is so sure.

He wobbles and rubs his eyes but he's sure.

Hikari smiles, inside and out and she leaps forward. Takeru makes to step back-

A something, creamy and small, slams into her chest very hard. She's sent reeling because this is still a human body, so weak and unnurtured (Vamdemon can't change that) and thus stumbles onto the ground.

Plotmon flies back herself like the recoil of a bullet, landing almost right in Takeru's arms. She lifts her large head, eyes glistening with tears, and howls with the force of a sonic boom.

"Bad Hikari!" she screams, ears almost wings as they flapped about her moving head. "Bad! If I can't attack our friends seriously like that, neither can you!"

it's its own kind of sweet, bitter betrayal, she realizes as the human inside of her glows with triumph.


	40. 4-5

Surprise, surprise.

Hikari wants to glow with pride on the inside but she can't. The virus wars with the rest of her, with her too real desire to acknowledge this kind of sort of betrayal for the sake of the right thing. She doesn't even understand her own head anymore..

The virus doesn't need understanding though. It just needs the scythe and as she grabs for it, what was Patamon gets in the way with ease, too much ease.

That's right. Digimon are beasts aren't they? Don't they all have this killer instinct? Don't they all have this awful knowledge of when and where to be and how? It's buried in their code, in their instinctive drive to not die, but surpass. Humans have it too, but it's so much slower and she realizes it just in time for the angel to crash her into the nearby trees, through them even. SHe crashes and grunts in pain and her body cracks like stepped on leaves.

She can't see the angel's eyes but she knows focus because she's felt it and Hikari opens her mouth to think about pleading, but the rest of her stops that, looks forward, accepts. That's all she can do, that's what she should do. Yet her hands and arms, aching in pain, go on and lift anyway.

She thinks Takeru's eyes are going wide, but she can't see. She has the scythe and the weapon meets arm sword. THey clash and kick and she feels ribs cave.

But Hikari is tiring. Blood and something grey are seeping out of her and splashing onto him. It sizzles. HolyAngemon hisses in pain and something else and she feels her limbs starting to give, starting to drag the scythe down.

HolyAngemon, seeing an opportunity, swings down and slices it in two.

Unfortunately, the swing is a bit too wide and slashes down Hikari's torso.


	41. 4-6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bad things are about to happen.

Taichi's small figure pads into the clearing right when Hikari hits the ground, blood dripping. Takeru doesn't even hear him scream, his knees are buckling with a whole new type of pain, like Bastemon's claws, one that's torn between eating him and eating the fallen HolyAngemon. It seems to settle and Takeru hears his partner howl in pain for a moment. THen it leaves him entirely and Takeru forces his eyes open to see-

A black cloud. That's the only way he can put it. It's a storm cloud coiling up right over his head and rushing forward. HolyAngemon's groaning was incredibly loud but Takeru has to ignore it and force his jelly legs to move and knock Taichi out of the way-

He fails and Agumon's great lumbering feet stop mid-step, only for his next one to make a crater. Taichi is screaming so loudly Takeru thinks he'll rip up his vocal chords. It soon gets drowned out by Agumon's rapidly shifting roar. It grows heavier and more painful by the second, mixing with the fainter whimpering of his HolyAngemon.

"It hurts, Takeru," his partner whispers. "Make it stop."

I can't, he wants to say.

"You want it to stop, do ya?" Pinocchimon is back and through the squint of pain, Takeru can see melted metal and singed wood. His red eyes are even - no, don't look. "I'll make it stop - forever!"

Takeru isn't sure who shouts their denial but consciousness spirals away absurdly slowly as HolyAngemon shrieks and something.

Else.

Flies.

Up.

He sees red bat wings and that's all before the end comes.

Takeru thinks he hears Hikari's voice.


	42. 4-7

Sora, nestled in the safety of Garudamon's hand, sees it all. Or at least, she sees the end of it all. Koushiro isn't far behind and it almost gets him killed. The first creature is tattered bat and howling for blood. HIs eyes are like Bastemon's eyes as they fasten on Koushiro and AlturKabuterimon, the sitting ducks they are in the air. But something black and grey crashes into him before he can even move. Garudamon dives and catches them but Koushiro's pale skin is possibly dead paper now.

From here, Sora thinks it looks like a Greymon of some kind. It's not WarGreymon. It is nothing like that. There are too many flames, too much anger rolling off of a single being that she's sure if the world wasn't already dying it would be roasting like spitfire food.

As it was, the two beings clash in the air, each with weapons and wings and their own pain. Sora waves her hand as quickly as possible and they dive. Even if they're on the ground and sitting ducks for the Dark Masters, it's better than being moving targets for whatever is going on up there.

From here, it sounds like they're killing each other. Sora doesn't want to see it. So she helps Koushiro down into the trees, ignoring the delighted cackling of the angry puppet only feet away which is slowly turning into shrieking enraged sounds. THe dragon dives towards the sound and Pinocchimon jumps as far as he can but it's not far enough.

The flames catch his metal foot and the monster screams at him as it chases the hopping child away.

Sora and Koushiro, being intelligent children, run in the opposite direction.

Seeing the chaos and destruction in front of them, they regret it.


End file.
